


Golden String

by morifiinwe



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Just a lot of fluff folks, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-27 10:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20406430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morifiinwe/pseuds/morifiinwe
Summary: When we are alone, we can learn to be honest together.





	Golden String

**Author's Note:**

  * For [elvntari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/elvntari/gifts).

By the time he found her, the sun was rising above the horizon, bathing her face in a golden glow. Peering up through the leaves had never suited her; she needed to feel it on her skin, watch it like she had as a child. Even as their worries mounted, sunlight never failed to lift her spirits. Nienor had never lived up to her name.

Mablung looked like he wanted to be exasperated with her, but his eyes softened at the corners when he saw her, and one almost guilty smile was enough to crumble his resolve away. Instead he settled in the branches of the trees like she had, deliberately looking everywhere except her. It was endearing, really. Nienor was dressed in only her night dress and a cloak, her hair unbound and inevitably full of leaves. Mablung, with all his courtly instincts, was trying to protect her honour. That, or he wanted to avoid incurring her mother’s wrath.

“Your mother is worried about you Lady Nienor.”

“Just Nienor, please,” she had always found Mablung sweet, but it was hard to get to know him when he held her at arm's length.

“My lady,” he protested softly.

“We’re friends, aren’t we? You don’t need to be so formal when we’re alone.”

“We should go.”

Nienor did not miss his lack of answer. She slumped further into the branches, but did not bring it up, no matter the sting in her heart. She hadn’t quite worked out what she felt for Mablung, but a certain friendship would have been a start. At the very least, it would have given her some idea of where his heart lay.

“Let’s stay, just a little bit longer. I’ve missed the sky.”

“As you wish.”

They sat in companionable silence for a little while longer, until strangeness seemed to melt away. Out of the corner of her eye, Nienor could see him sneaking looks at her, now that she seemed transfixed by the endless trees and the golden sun. In those longing looks were, perhaps, his true feelings for her. She couldn’t help herself. She had to know.

Mablung froze in fear as soon as she turned her head, eyes widening, breath stopping. She smiled at him, delighting in the way he seemed to blink and restart. While he seemed to thrive on subtlety, on the mechanics of the courtly romances that she was beginning to understand, Nienor took a much more direct approach.

This could be drawn out, or it could become very simple, very fast.

She kissed him gently, just on the cheek. She didn’t think his poor heart could handle anything else. Mablung, to his credit, didn’t fall out of the tree, though he did grab onto a branch hard enough for his knuckles to turn white.

“Nienor,” he whispered.

Their faces were still very close. Nienor could see the exact moment his mind was made up.

When he kissed her, it took her breath away.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little fic to (hopefully) get me back into the swing of things.  
Please like and comment if you enjoyed!


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